Thanks, Phil. While I have not fired a slug in 30 or so years, it's good to know what works if the need arises.

A year or two ago i was about to hunt a buddy of mine's property, he does not allow rifles, only muzzleloaders or slugs.
At the time I did not have a muzzleloader so I was using my Stoeger 12ga. semi, with smoothbore slugs, this gun has only a single bead for a "sight".
My friends had their scoped rifle barreled slug guns.
We set a small pumpkin on a hay bale at 100 yds. for a target,...while my buddies were setting up the lead sled, and getting all thier gear together, I grabbed the Stoeger and a slug, then sat down on a picnic table, propped up on my elbows and took one shot which busted that lil ol pumpkin all to smithereens.
While my buddies stood there, jaws agape, I simply headed back to the truck to stow my gun.
It was probably dumb luck, but I have to admit, it was pretty cool, and I got a great chuckle out of the feat.
I do know this, those darn slugs pack a mighty big whollup inside of 60 yds.

Phil, what are your thoughts on Winchesters Rack Master slugs?

I shot a few deer with foster types slugs and within 60 yards or so and they were very effective. I shot a large buck in Southern MI. and the slug went through both shoulder blades and out the other side. I believe that they were Federal slugs. I have not shot the Brennekes but I have heard good things about them from other shooters.

I've had good accuracy (all five shots almost touching at 50 yards) with some Rottwiel slugs though my modified choke 20 gauge Mossy 500. I found the slugs at a gun show last year but have been unable to find any since then. Does anyone know if the Rottwiel brand is even around anymore?

Also what is the best way to remove lead build up around the forcing cone? I scrubbed forever with hoppes no.9 and a bristle brush. There has got to be a better way!

Brenneke’s been around for a long long time and still got a box. As for shooting past 100 yards, all depends on the barrel and slug. Vandenburg AFB Kalifornia iz probably the best deer hunting areas for using shotgun. I remember Dad and his Winchester Model 12 with a makeshift sights soldered to the barrel shooting well over 200 out to 300 yards or more at times. Back then, deer wondering on the runway wuz a serious problem and the Rod & Gun Club would saddle up and take out a bunch. Spotting as many as 200 deer just south of the runway wuz the norm especially in the evening. But that wuz 45 years ago, a lot probably has changed then.

Trust the Germans to come out with a slug that was right from the beginning and retains its basic design for 100 years. Brenneke slugs were originally designed for European wild boar, and they've been, and are still being used by farmers in Africa to deal with crop raiding big herbivores.

My 870 with a smooth-bore deer barrel loves Remington sluggers. I can usually keep 5 rounds of 2 3/4in 1oz slugs into 3in at 50 yards. In the woods I hunt that's plenty good enough. I used to shoot the 3in shells, but my shoulder revolted. The deer don't seem to notice a difference either. 1oz of lead sure puts a wallop on them!

Very good post, Mr. Phil. As a New Yorker on the Lake Erie end, deer slugs were all I knew for most of my life, and we still use them alot. Though it shouldn't be encouraged, foster slugs have killed many deer way beyond the 80-90 yard mark. We mostly used Rem sluggers not because they were cheap (they were), but they seem to group best. Two of the most accurate shotguns I've ever seen was my brother's cheap, ugly (it was a gift, he hated it too) savage pump that the barrel couldn't be removed and my dad's full choke Rem 1148 fitted with a peep sight. My brother now swears by (discontinued I think) Active slugs, they had a all plastic shell and they are devastating, he would buy every one he'd find and stock up. Brenneke's are great, but they never fed well from my Ithaca #37, a gunsmith told me it was the European measurement of the 2 3/4 shell. That seemed odd, still not sure about that. A side note: when rifles were allowed in the southern tier of New York, many found that the little hole a .30 cal makes, leaves a puny blood trail when compared to a 12 gauge slug.

My dad uses a 12 870 short barrel smooth bore with a rifled choke, and the gun out shoots my almost new 870 with rifled barrel and cantiveller, same slugs, same scopes, same stocks,

OKduckhunter - Cylinder, Skeet or IC are best, Modified can be okay, Full deforms slugs and they group poorly as a result.

phil,
thanks for the input, much appreciated. here in nj thats all we are allowed to use. i use a 12 gauge mossberg rifled barrel from time to time but recently scaled down to a 20 gauge h&r slugster. too much beating on the shoulder. cant wait for your next post on sabot slugs.

Pathfinder1 -- they only spin if you shoot them through rifling. The lands are there to help the slug swage down through a choke.

I used to hunt with a 20 ga. bolt Mossberg with a poly-choke. Opened it to Imp. cyl. This was with a rifled slug which seemed to always wander up a little and to the left.
My question Phil is about your statement about shooting through a full choke. Would that not damage the barrel?

Thank You Deadeyedick, I'll give that a try!

Glad to read you used to shoot an A5 Phil!! Although the county I live and hunt in NYS just allowed rifles for deer hunting for the first time,I still deer hunt with my 16ga. A5 Standard with a 24" buck special barrel. That gun prints 7/8 oz. Remington Sluggers at about 1.5" at 50yds give or take a half inch more or less every time I shoot it before season. I usually just put three downrange. With groups like that I have fun in my bow stands. Most deer walk by at less than 35 yards. I enjoy this kind of hunting the most. Up close and personal and the 16ga. is a great compromise between the 12 gauge and the 20. I wish more gun makers were still putting them out. I absolutely love the 16 gauge for any thing around here in WNY.